Opportunities for musicians in Uganda

As more and more young people are joining the active music industry in Uganda, the reality is, competition is getting tougher each day and the industry is getting very monetized by the already big stars. This calls for so much work by emergent artist if they are to make it. They need to have fine lyrics and invest in quality audio and video production in order to gain leverage in the industry. Further still, having a good video or good audio is not enough. One has to get out there and promote their song on radio, television and online. All of this requires money, which is the biggest challenge for young artists.

The good news is that today there are opportunities that have been put in place to help young or upcoming artists. Some of these include talent searches by radio stations, television stations, record labels and bands. Other opportunities include workshops or public discussions that look for ways forward in the music industry. Below we look at some of the opportunities available to help young artists in Uganda who are looking to kick- start their musical careers.

Talent searches

There are so many regional talents searches in different parts of Uganda, but we shall mostly focus on those that are centered in the capital city, Kampala, and those that rotate around the country.

The Power Talent Search (PTS) is an annual talent search organized by producer Rinex, media personalities, producers and Power Records. PTS majorly focuses on people with disabilities. PTS goes around all regions looking for talented musicians who are disabled in Uganda. It gives the winners a chance to record with Power Records, which is a national level recording house. There are always 25 winners from every region who compete at the national level to get the winner, who records a full album[i].

The Ghetto Voice Talent Search is organized by self-proclaimed Ghetto President, Bobi Wine, one of the biggest musicians currently in Uganda, alongside his agency Angry Management. The search is basically run around the disadvantaged youths who love music, but live in ghetto areas. This is an annual event; where the winner receives a recording contract with Angry Management or is presented to another talent management company[ii].

The Bayimba Festival is a talent search fused with festivals around the country, looking for very innovative musicians and instrumentalists with fresh ideas. The organization gives them a platform to perform on the same stage with already established musicians in the country and also provides the winners with training sessions to make them better at what they do. Bayimba also provides winners with chances to stage and showcase their work on international stages in Europe, America and other African countries[iii].

Rated Next is a talent search organized by Urban TV Uganda and the Coca Cola company. The main purpose of this countrywide talent search is to find a young artist with an extra ordinary voice. This search basically focuses on singers. It assembles all winners from different districts where the auditions were held into an academy in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, for an intense training session and relegation, until a final winner is got. The winner walks away with $20,000 to help them in their music career. The search has seen a girl as young as 14 years win the competition[iv].

Tusker Project Fame is an East African singing competition sponsored by Tusker beer that airs live on over five television channels across East Africa. The singing competition holds its auditions in different areas of Uganda to scout for the best talent which is later assembled in one house, called an academy. The regional winners are trained on vocals and how to play certain music instruments. Here the opportunity should not be looking at becoming the overall winner but rather polishing your skill in the academy. The search has produced great Ugandan musicians such as Naava Grey, Jamal and many more. To get involved in the auditions you have to keep an eye on your local media, where the next event is usually publicized[v].

The Next Big Star talent search is organized by Ugandan journalist and Music critic, Isaac Katende famously known as Kasuku. He teams up with several bands, including The Golden Production, De New Eagles, Revival Band and Kream Production. As the auditions are taking place, representatives from each band spot out talent that they take on and sign for a year. Each season of this talent search can end with over 25 participants getting record deals. Also individual talent managers are welcome to spot talent[vi].

Uganda’s Music Icon is organized by sensational female musician Mariam Ndagire in connection with several media personalities, to scout for a local talented young musician. They help the emerging winner, by booking her to a studio for an , audio and video recording, promoting the music on media channels and also training the individual to be able to face the competitive music industry[vii].

Workshops

In the Ugandan music industry, workshops are rare because of the numerous divisions within the music industry. For a musician like Bobi Wine would not attend a workshop where Bebe Cool is present because of their personal misunderstandings. Still, some workshops are taking place a midst all the challenges. Below we explore some of the workshops that are available to help shape the music industry.

The Ugandan Music Public Dialogue is organized by several media personalities spearheaded by Kasuku Media owned by Isaac Katende, a music critic. The workshop hosts a panel of professionals including music directors, radio and television programmers and musicians. The panel discusses the state of the industry and finds solutions to the problems affecting the industry at that particular time. This is an annual event that takes place at the Club Obligatto[viii].

The Uganda Performers’ Society provides a platform for Ugandan musicians, actors and other stakeholders get to meet every year to discuss the state of the industry and find a way forward regarding the problems facing the industry. They also exchange ideas with upcoming musicians and actors as they also get a chance to interact with the already successful musicians and actors[ix].

Companies and record labels

As the music industry gets more competitive and financially demanding, there are several companies and individuals that have come up to help upcoming musicians develop their talents and make money. The best way to get in touch with these people and companies is to give them a call and ask for an appointment. Make sure you have your recorded music organized on a CD before the meeting. The reason we advise you to call them, instead of using emails is because the culture of using emails in the music industry is very new and local music professionals take calls more seriously. Some of companies who might be able to help include: Extra Level Entertainment[x], owned by Thadeus Mubiru, the manager of Ugandan super diva, Iryn Namubiru; Sipapa Entertainment[xi], a company that signs upcoming artists but also gives support in terms of finance to help those who need it to produce videos (you need to have a demo audio recording or even videos before you contact them); and Twinkle Star[xii], a company owned by talent manager Emma Carlos, who has been behind the success of some top artists like Khalifa Aganana, Coco Finger and Dream Galz.

As an artist, you should always try to follow the media in your local area to be updated about the current opportunities. Music is a growing industry, meaning many people and companies are investing in it. So you should always be alert about any new opportunities and take each seriously, because each competition you take part in is a learning experience and in the process you get to know new people in the industry who can help grow your career.